| 1 | 1 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2405 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to a pilot program to expand access to career and technical |
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| 7 | 7 | | education partnerships in rural areas. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by |
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| 10 | 10 | | adding Section 12.0271 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 12.0271. RURAL WORKFORCE INVESTMENT PILOT PROGRAM. |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) In this section: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) "General academic teaching institution," "public |
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| 14 | 14 | | junior college," and "public technical institute" have the meanings |
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| 15 | 15 | | assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) "Rural area" means: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (A) a county with a population of less than |
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| 18 | 18 | | 100,000; or |
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| 19 | 19 | | (B) a municipality with a population of less than |
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| 20 | 20 | | 50,000. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) Subject to available funding, the commissioner by rule |
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| 22 | 22 | | shall develop a rural workforce investment pilot program to issue |
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| 23 | 23 | | grants for developing partnerships in rural areas among school |
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| 24 | 24 | | districts, public junior colleges, public technical institutes, |
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| 25 | 25 | | general academic teaching institutions, and business and industry |
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| 26 | 26 | | to provide greater access to career and technical education and |
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| 27 | 27 | | industry certification to high school students in those areas. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) The department may not issue more than four grants under |
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| 29 | 29 | | this section in each state fiscal biennium. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (d) The department shall coordinate with the Texas |
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| 31 | 31 | | Workforce Commission, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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| 32 | 32 | | Board, and the Texas Education Agency in developing the pilot |
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| 33 | 33 | | program. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (e) Students participating in the pilot program may receive |
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| 35 | 35 | | at least 60 hours of college credit before high school graduation. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (f) A local workforce development board authorized by the |
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| 37 | 37 | | Texas Workforce Commission may apply to participate in the pilot |
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| 38 | 38 | | program if the workforce development board: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (1) serves a rural area of the state; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) meets any other qualifications prescribed by the |
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| 41 | 41 | | commissioner. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (g) To receive a grant under this section, an applicant must |
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| 43 | 43 | | commit public or private funds matching the grant in a percentage |
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| 44 | 44 | | set by the commissioner. The commissioner shall set the required |
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| 45 | 45 | | percentage of matching funds based on the demonstrated economic |
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| 46 | 46 | | capacity of the community served by the program to raise funds for |
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| 47 | 47 | | the purpose of matching the grant, as determined by the |
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| 48 | 48 | | commissioner. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2. This Act does not make an appropriation. A |
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| 50 | 50 | | provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program, |
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| 51 | 51 | | creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental |
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| 52 | 52 | | entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the |
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| 53 | 53 | | legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the |
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| 54 | 54 | | provision. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 56 | 56 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 57 | 57 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 58 | 58 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 59 | 59 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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